Black and Read
by Winter-Rae
Summary: Colours and books; two of Noah’s fascinations are about to help him win over the girl he’s been crushing on since coming to the island. Main pairing: Noah/Gwen. Side pairings: Duncan/LeShawna, Geoff/Bridgette, Harold/Eva.


**Black and Read**

**Title:** Black and Read

**Summary: **Colours and books; two of Noah's fascinations are about to help him win over the girl he's been crushing on since coming to the island.

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Total Drama Island. If I did, well, never mind.

**Pairings:** main: Gwen/Noah, side: Duncan/LeShawna, Geoff/Bridgette, Harold/Eva

**Warnings:** Some language, humour, fluff, the usual. I think you guys know how I role by now.

**Winter-Rae:** Oh yeah, more cracktastic pairings for ya! And yes, the title is supposed to be spelt like that. Enjoy!

* * *

**Black and Read**

The colour black had always fascinated Noah.

Certainly all the colours had specific meanings but in his opinion, no colour had more meaning then the colour black. It was mysterious, associated with power and elegance, and could also be a meaning for fear and the unknown.

The mystery, fear, and unknown he could relate to as of late.

For a certain Goth on the island wore it all of time, as it was her colour of choice. As far as he was concerned it suited her like no other colour could.

Gwen certainly was a mystery to him. She didn't speak much, choosing to stay in the background and write in her black notebook. He was willing to bet that she could appreciate a good book.

She also participated in all of the challenges, was fairly competitive and put the fear of God in him and the others when she was mad.

And of course, she was damn sexy in black.

* * *

"Good morning Gwen."

Said young woman looked up at Noah, a slightly surprised look crossed her face as he sat down across from her. He handed her a book. She arched an eyebrow.

"What's this?" she asked him.

"Thought you might enjoy it," he said with a simple shrug and a small smile. Gwen looked at the cover of the book.

"Pride and Prejudice?"

Noah nodded.

"Ever read it?"

"No, and I only watched about five minutes of the movie, what's it about?"

"Love."

Gwen rolled her eyes.

"Oh great, another corny love story."

She slid the book across the table back to him. Noah was unfazed by her attitude toward the book. He picked it up and opened it.

"Corny?' he mused, "Far from it. You see, the two main characters in this book hate each other at first. I have to admit that my favourite part of this book is that it's the man who confesses love first. I hate it when books and movies portray woman as love struck, annoying girly girls. But she denies her obvious love for the man until the end. He puts himself out there a few times, real men should chase after the women they love. Don't you agree?"

Gwen found herself smiling at Noah's opinion on the classic tale. He seemed to know a great deal about it, which surprised her. She never figured guys read love stories, unless they were forced. She remembered how the guys in her class acted when they had to read Romeo and Juliet for a class project.

"And the fact that Elizabeth has black hair always intrigued me too," he added as an afterthought, which made Gwen roll her eyes.

"You're a weird kid Noah," she said.

"I prefer the term eccentric," he replied, "So; if I'm weird what does that make you then?"

"A freak I suppose," she replied, "Everyone here seems to think so."

"You're not a freak," Noah replied, looking her in the eye, "You're amazing."

Gwen was taken aback by his bold statement; she never coined Noah as being the forward type. He was lazy, impolite and one of those class president kids who always made fun of her at her own school. His type was truly the last person in the world she could ever see herself with. Yet here she was, letting herself be hit on by him. He didn't even seem embarrassed when she didn't reply to him. He just flipped the book open to a page and started to read.

"You must know... surely, you must know it was all for you," he read, "You are too generous to trifle with me. I believe you spoke with my aunt last night, and it has taught me to hope as I'd scarcely allowed myself before. If your feelings are still what they were last April, tell me so at once. My affections and wishes have not changed, but one word from you will silence me forever. If, however, your feelings have changed, I will have to tell you: you have bewitched me, body and soul, and I love, I love, I love you. I never wish to be parted from you from this day on."

Gwen watched as he closed the book and set it back down on the table.

"What did you think?' he asked her.

"What did he do?" she asked, suddenly interested. Noah smirked.

"Now you don't expect me to spoil the whole book for you do you?" he asked. He tapped the cover and then got to his feet.

"See you later Gwen."

"Wait a minute," she called after him. He paused and looked at her.

"Yeah?"

"Has someone put you up to this?" she asked, "Why are you all of a sudden showing interest in me?"

The expression on Noah's face was that of confusion, as if he either had no idea what Gwen was talking about or he was shocked that she had no idea how pretty she was. She wasn't sure which one to go with as she wasn't the type of girl to think she was pretty.

"What makes you think it's sudden? I've always been interested in you Gwen," he replied, "I was just trying to figure out the right way to go about it. I'm sure you can see that I'm not very good at talking to girls. Books are more my thing so I tried to find a book that made me think of you. Pride and Prejudice was the top of the list."

"So you always bring a bunch of books when you go on long trips?" she asked, "In hopes of meeting a girl you can compare to a character?"

Noah shook his head.

"I wasn't even going to bring it at first," he mused, "It was a last second choice, but I have to say that I'm glad I brought it along. Enjoy."

And with a wave of his hand, he left the mess hall to return to the cabin. Gwen picked up the book and opened to the first page, all the while letting Noah's words echo in her mind.

* * *

Noah returned to the Screaming Gopher's cabin to fetch another book, this time deciding on Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, and then took it outside. He sat on the porch, looked around, and opened the book to the first page.

"Dude, I saw you hitting on Gwen, nice one."

Noah looked over the top of his book to see Duncan watching him with a grin on his face. Geoff and Harold were with him as well, they too looked rather amused. Noah rolled his eyes.

"Killer Bass boys," he mused, "What can I do for you all?"

"Nothing," Duncan replied, "So you and Gwen huh?"

"What of it?" Noah asked, "And there is no 'me and Gwen' anyway. I was just offering her a book that she might find of interest. She is very pretty though isn't she?"

The three shrugged, causing Noah to snicker.

"Oh of course," he said, "You three would prefer a plus sized loudmouth, a blonde surfer, and an anger management patient in the making. Although I will admit, Eva has very nice hair"

"Hey," Harold said, "You better not try to hit on my girlfriend. You know how close I came to almost getting killed trying to get with her?"

"You're the one who took the public approach to admitting you had a crush on her," Noah pointed out, "I took a more subtle approach, combining two passions of mine."

Harold had to agree with Noah, reading a poem he wrote for Eva during breakfast probably wasn't the smartest thing he had ever done. Duncan scoffed.

"For the life of me, I'll never understand you nerds and you're weird ways."

Noah glared at him.

"And snooping through a girl's suitcase, sealing their bra and running it up a flagpole is a better way to get her attention?" he asked. Duncan flushed. He still had bruises from that particular prank he played on LeShawna. Lucky for him she had a big heart, despite being one of the toughest girls he knew, next to Eva of course. Once the bra was returned she more or less forgave him. But then he had to go a whole five days without any physical contact with her, and that had sucked.

"Come on guys," Geoff said, being the peacekeeper of the group, "Everyone has their own way to hit on a girl."

"Speaking of which," Noah started, "How's Bridgette."

Geoff sighed.

"Any book in your collections that remind you of her?" he asked. Noah laughed.

"Not Frankenstein that's for sure."

* * *

"Hey girl," LeShawna greeted, she sat down with Gwen at the table. The ebony haired girl smiled at her.

"Hi LeShawna."

"What you reading?"

"Pride and Prejudice."

"Oh I saw that movie," the voluptuous girl said, "The pants that Mr. Darcy wore at the end, I'm tellin' you, every man should have to wear them!"

Gwen laughed.

"Where'd you get the book?"

"Noah gave it to me."

LeShawna grinned.

"That boy is trippin' all over you girl."

"What do you mean?" Gwen asked. LeShawna rolled her eyes.

"Come on Gwen, don't tell me you didn't notice that he has a thing for you, it's more obvious then Eva's anger problem and my firmly toned booty."

Gwen thought for a moment and then flushed.

"You really think he likes me?" she asked, "Guys like him always made fun of me at school."

LeShawna smiled.

"That my girl, is the beauty of being on this island, forces us to get to know people we normally wouldn't hang out with. Look at me and Duncan; scrawny, punk, white boy and a big beautiful black girl. And don't even get me started on Harold and Eva."

Gwen laughed.

"I guess Noah is charming, in a lazy and arrogant type of way."

"So you like him?"

Gwen shrugged.

"I never really looked at him that way before, but now that I think about it, he is pretty decent to me."

"That's one of the main things," LeShawna mused, "But if he hurts your feelings I will be forced to break his legs."

"You ever consider becoming a bodyguard," Gwen asked her. LeShawna just laughed.

* * *

"Well gentlemen," Noah said, "As much as I would like to stay here and discuss whose flirting tactics are better, I have things to do."

Duncan arched a pierced eyebrow.

"Off to hit on Gwen again?"

"None of your business."

Noah took his leave and started to return to the mess hall. He knew Gwen would be nowhere close to finishing the book but he rather enjoyed her company. As he entered the room he saw Gwen and LeShawna talking. He also took note that when they saw him; Gwen blushed and hid behind the book. LeShawna shook her head and waved to him.

"Hey Noah," she said, "I was just leaving."

"Duncan's by the cabin," he told her.

"Boy better not be going through my suitcase again," she muttered as she left, "I'm gonna have to put a mouse trap in there or something."

Noah sat across from Gwen, who was still hiding behind the book, and tapped the top of it.

"Good book?" he asked.

"You would know, you gave it to me."

"I want your opinion."

Gwen set the book down and avoided his gaze.

"Kinda boring, but I guess I have to read more to get really into it," she said. Noah raised an eyebrow.

"Has something happened in the past," he checked his watched, "Forty-five minutes to make you not want to look at me?"

Gwen frowned slightly and then looked at him, a slight blush tinting her cheeks.

"I hate guys like you in school," she told him, "All they ever do is mess with me. Do you know what the class president of my class did to me?"

Noah shook his head. Suddenly being class president didn't mean very much to him anymore. If it meant that he was being compared to someone who hurt this lovely girl in front of him, he considered quitting.

"He wrote, in permanent marker, on my locker that I was a slut," she explained, "So you'll have to forgive me for trying to ignore any 'attraction' there might be between us."

Noah frowned.

"He sounds like a douche bag," he said. Before Gwen could stop herself, she laughed. Noah smiled, happy to hear the sound.

"Somehow hearing you curse is funny," she said.

"I curse all the time," Noah said, "Don't let this calm and sexy exterior fool you; beneath it all beats the heart of a regular badass."

Gwen laughed again.

"Right," she said, "And I'm secretly a prep."

"Don't even joke!" Noah said, "I like this look on you, it's a serious turn on."

He winked at her, and again Gwen was blushing.

"You have a fetish for Goths?" she asked him.

"Secretly I think all guys do, they just won't admit it."

Gwen smiled at Noah. Her blushing seemed to be more or less under control.

"I can't promise you that I'd be good company," she told him. Noah held up his hands in surrender.

"I'm not looking for a long time commitment or anything like that," he explained, "Just a chance to show you that I can be a decent guy, and you never know, stuff might happen. I'm content to take things slow."

Gwen arched an eyebrow.

"You sure?" she asked him, "I'm sure there are plenty of other girls out there...

"They don't interest me like you do," he replied, "You're smart, deep and beautiful. To be honest you're everything I'm not, except for smart. I do have above average intelligence."

Gwen rolled her eyes.

"Modest aren't you?"

"Not at all."

Noah offered her his hand. Gwen looked at it for a moment and then covered it with hers. He then brought her hand to his lips and kissed the back of it.

* * *

"Now isn't that the cutest thing you've ever seen?" LeShawna asked. She and Duncan were spying on the newly formed couple from one of the windows. Duncan scoffed and rolled his eyes.

"I've seen cuter."

"Oh really?" LeShawna asked, "And what, pray tell, would that be?"

"You in a bathing suit," Duncan replied with a grin.

"Oh, flattery will get you nowhere with me Baby Boy," she told him, "But do continue with the compliments."

"I told you not to call me that!" Duncan replied, crossing his arms over his chest. LeShawna smiled and kissed his cheek.

"Wrong, you told me not to call you that in public."

* * *

**Winter-Rae:** Gwen and Noah...hardest pairing I have ever attempted! Hopefully they are in character enough for everyone. Anyway! Maybe someone out there enjoyed this, I'll admit it's not great. Thanks for reading! Cheers!


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